1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical contacts, and particularly to fine pitch electrical contacts. More particularly, the invention relates to fine pitch contacts for connecting the leads of a packaged integrated circuit (IC) to a printed circuit board, a circuit tester or the like.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Fine pitch contacts are often used to connect packaged IC circuits to test boards, test fixtures, or the like. For example, in a known IC tester, a clam shell fixture for receiving an IC is attached to a tester circuit. The fixture includes a bottom portion having an array of leads and an upper pivoting cover portion. The packaged IC circuit is placed on the lower portion with its contacts being in contact with the array of leads. When the packaged circuit is in correct position, the lid of the clam shell is closed over the packaged IC circuit, holding the IC circuit in position with the leads of the IC circuit being connected with the arrays of leads.
In the past, the bottom portion of the clam shell fixture often included staggered pogo pins as the leads. The pogo pins were miniature upside down pogo sticks installed in a plastic or ceramic clam shell. Each pin was mounted in the clam shell with a tiny spring, with the case holding the spring in place. Another type of known IC tester uses a finely machined fixture that contains parallel metal slides disposed in slots at the correct pitch. In this arrangement, the outer portion of the slides provided the contact with an IC package for testing.
While conventional contacts for connecting with the leads of an IC package for testing or other purposes have proven to be adequate, they are also often structurally complex and expensive to produce.
In addition, conventional contacts tend to be application specific. That is, if the leads from the IC circuit package require a different length, the fine pitch lead package must be redesigned to accommodate the new length. Moreover, the contacts are typically at the same pitch as the leads of the IC package making it difficult sometimes to connect the contacts to test and other circuits.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of conventional lead packages by providing a simple and inexpensive conductor package which can connect with the leads of an IC package to interface those leads with other circuits for testing or other purposes. The conductor package has an insulating member and an array of individual leads extending in opposite directions from the insulating member. The insulating member may be part of an insulating frame which has one or two insulating members, each insulating member containing its own array of individual leads extending from opposite sides thereof.
Each array of leads is adapted for permanent or removable connection to the leads of an IC package as well as to the leads of a circuit board or a test fixture. The conductor package may also be used to mount and connect packaged IC""s to other packaged IC""s, if desired.
The invention also provides a unique method for fabricating a pre-assembly for making a final conductor package, as well as the final conductor package itself. In another aspect the invention also provides a pre-assembly incorporating a pre-punched lead frame having molded insulation areas to facilitate manufacture of the conductor package.